Improvement in fire-arms



at tlniterl 5am gated LINCOLN MERRIAM, OF NEW YORK, NQY. Letters Patent No. 86,091,. dated J mma/ry 19, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ARMS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the name.

ing the powder-chamber and cartridge that the continned burning of the powder shall increase the pressure of the gas upon the shot while it isano'ving through the bore of the gun.

To enable those skilled in the art to make anduse my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In constructing my cartridge, I place the fulminate' in a cup, stamped in the end of the cartridge, resembling a percussion-cap opening inward, and upon the fulminate I .place a perforated piece of metal, seeming it by compressing the sides of the cup upon it, as seen in a, Figure I. e

I next place a small column of powder, B, to act direcuy upon the base of the shot D in exploding, and additional powder, 0 in the form of a disk or ring, at the base of the shot I The barrel E E, Figure II, I construct in twosectrons-either section may be made movable; and the powdel or cartridge-cliamberfi I form at their junction in the following manner: The bore of the muzzle-section, E, of the barrel, I enlarge at the end toward the but, so as toadnlit of the but-section E (worked by a hinged lever and brace) sliding nearly to the base of the enlargement, where it meets with a shoulder, bevellcd to form a close joint, and the space between the bottom of the cnlargcmentand the end of the sliding bm-s tion E of the barrel receives the disk or ringpor'ion oi the charge or cartridge, and the column-portion of the charge or cartridge is received in the bore of the sliding but-suction E oi the barrel.

'Ihc cam H, adjusted to thesliding section of the barrel, guides the column-portion of the cartridge .to

its place; and after the discharge, the cam-stop L,-

worked by the sliding section E of the barrel, throws the shell from the cartridge-chamber.

I also bind together the sections of the barrel by what I dcnominate the duplex-coupling J, Figure III, which I construct in the following manner:

I cut a single or triple thread, K, on the outer surface of a tube, and a corresponding thread, L, on the inner surface of the tube. I then sink, in the cap or coupling, an annular-slot, M, or groove, to fit the end of the tube; after allowing for the thread, and this groove,'1 thread to fit the threads on the outer and inner suriacesof the tube.

Now, whereas it takes time for powder to burn, and for the shot to move through the bore of the gun, and since, by proper arrangement, the burning of the powder may be timed to the movement of the shot, so as to impart greater accuracy and velocity to the shot, with less recoil and strain to the gun,

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The duplex coupling or joint described, each part consisting of inside and outside screw-threads, fitting into corresponding threads on the other part, for the p'urposes set forth. 7

2. The powder-chamber G and its enlargement F, when so arranged, in relation to each other and the projectile, that when loaded for use, both parts shall communicate freely and form one chamber, as set forth.

3. .The cartridge, when the projectile isso arranged, in relation to the chambers B and 'G, that they shall freely con'nnunicate with each other, in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

LINCOLN A. MERRIAM. Witnesses D'. II. TUT'ILE,

ANDREW BLAKE. 

